The much anticipated Fall From Grace is Lion's Share's third album, and after some difficulties regarding labels, the new CD has finally hit the streets.

Featuring 8 songs, all in the classic Lion's Share style, it begins with "Unholy Rites," a catchy and powerful song that sets the standard of the CD and what's to come. The songs features mean, moody, powerful guitar work by Lars Chriss and the godlike vocals of Andy Engberg. Sheer power and an excellent chorus. Yes, this is pure quality and Lion's Share at its best! Another monster guitar riff starts track two, "The Edge Of Sanity." Good keyboards filling the background, excellent drumming and once again a good chorus. The song has a good technical part at the end of the song which features some superb guitar and keyboard solo duels. And it's at this point I start noticing that this band has taken one step further into the progressive metal genre adding more technical passages and parts, time changes, more variation and new arrangements into their songs. Track three, the title track, is a dark, moody, and mid-paced rocker once again showcasing a harmonising chorus and a technical passage towards the end of the song. The following track, "Drowning," starts really progressive with complex rhythms followed by some great staccato riffing from Chriss. This song has more variation and technical rhythms than we are used to from this lot. And as always the song has some serious powerful riffing and a killer chorus. Track five, "Remembrance," is a great tear-jerking ballad featuring a beautiful mix of clean guitar, cello and flute. Vocalist Andy Engberg really shines on this song and the chorus is once again just brilliant. "The Day The Earth Caught Fire" starts off bombastic, with exploding guitars and keys, followed by the awesome vocals by Engberg. Great orchestration in the mid section of the song and technically brilliant - and it's also one of two cover tracks on the disc. Track eight, "A Hole Of Black," has a good technical guitar riff, atmospheric keyboards and a great melody line in the verse. The chorus is again very good, backed up by the power-riffing of Chriss. Another good song. Last track, "A Touch Of Evil," is another powerful rocker.

Fall From Grace is the most powerful, technical and interesting Lion's Share album so far. The band has without doubt grown and the new material is both more mature, well structured and worked through. Adding more progressive elements, variation and various arrangements was a very smart move and sees the band taking one step further in the right direction. The production is excellent, powerful and brings every instrument to its right. The band is technically brilliant and the vocals of Andy Engberg are as good as it gets.

This is the most complete Lion's Share album this far. Fans of melodic progressive metal/melodic metal who have not heard this band yet, I urge you to buy this album.

First released by Avex/Bareknuckle (AVCB 66060) in 1999; reissued in 2000 also by Playground (LCM 3001)

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]